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Black Comedy/White Liars open auditions

Open auditions for the next Network production, a double bill of plays by Peter Shaffer, will take place on Wednesday 26th October between 6 and 9pm at our workshop venue, Hope St Ltd on Lord Street (entrance between McDonalds and Specsavers, ring bell for 3rd floor), with rehearsals throughout December and January.

Black Comedy: This hilarious farce plays on light and dark: when the lights are ‘on’ the stage is pitch black, but after a few minutes there is a power cut, the stage lights come on and the audience can see the actors.

Brindlsey Miller is an unsuccessful artist whose big chance has finally come, with a visit from eccentric millionaire art collector, Georg Bamberger. There are just a few problems to overcome: being engaged to Carol without having properly ended things with previous girlfriend Clea, the first meeting with Carol’s terrifying military father and having ‘borrowed’ his possessive neigbour Harold’s furniture to spruce up his flat. And then the lights go out.
ROLES
Brindsley Miller: a young sculptor, intelligent and attractive, but nervous and uncertain of himself. 20s-30s
Carol Melkett: Brindsley’s fiancee. A young debutante; very pretty, very spoilt, very silly. 20s-30s
Miss Furnival: a middle-aged lady. Prissy and refined. The archetypal middle-class spinster… until alcohol undoes her. 30s-50s
Colonel Melkett: Carol’s commanding father. Brisk, barky, yet given to sudden vocal calms which suggest a deep and alarming instability. 40s-50s
Harold Gorringe: the bachelor owner of an antiques shop and Brindsley’s neighbour, Harold comes from the North of England. Possessive and an expert in emotional blackmail, with a tendency to become hysterical. 30s-60s
Schuppanzigh: a cheery and cultivated German refugee. Delighted with his life and job at the London Electricity Board. 30s+
Clea: Brindsley’s ex-girlfriend. Mid-twenties, dazzling, emotional, bright and mischievous. 20s-30s
Bamberger: an elderly millionaire art collector. Also German. A walk-on part (but potentially a scene stealer!). 30s+

White Liars: Sophie, Baroness Lemberg, is a disillusioned fortune teller in an out-of-season resort. She is visited by Tom, the lead singer in a rock band, and his business manager, Frank. It soon becomes clear that Frank has an ulterior motive in the visit, but as Sophie looks into her crystal ball it becomes clear that life really is stranger than fiction and all three have something to hide.
ROLES
Sophie, Baroness Lemberg: an Austrian fortune teller who has fallen on hard times at an out-of-season English resort. A classy and educated lady who feels her best days may all be behind her.
Frank: young manager of The White Liars, a rock band. Frank is nervous and unsure of himself and has an urgent favour to ask of Sophie.
Tom: the lead singer in The White Liars, Tom is fascinating and attractive, but highly superstitious and ready to believe in fortune telling in general. A Yorkshire accent would help here.

Please note that we are a community theatre group and these are unpaid roles. If you’d like to audition for either or both plays, please email sandra.tschackert@googlemail.com indicating which roles you would like to audition for and if you have a preference in terms of timing. We will sort out a few different time slots and confirm nearer the date.

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One thought on “Black Comedy/White Liars open auditions”

Hi used to study at Merseyside Academy of Drama, currently studying at Act Up North, is it too late to audition for anything upcoming with you guys? Tuesdays are difficult for me but need to start performing ASAP. Cheers guys